Lectures Illustrating the Contrast Between true Christianity and Various other Systems. By William B. Sprague, D. D. [pp. 524-536]

True and False Religion.
Christianity contrasted with Romanism. 6. Evangelical Christianity contrasted with Unitarianism. 7. Practical Christianity
contrasted with Antinomianism. 8. Experimental Christianity
contrasted with Formalism.
We are persuaded that a bare inspection of the above
table of contents, will induce a desire in many persons, to
get possession of a volume in which so many interesting sub~jects are discussed, and that by a writer who stands so high
in the public estimation. And the more we consider the
plan of treating these subjects, by exhibiting them in contrast
with pure Christianity, the better are we pleased with the
design. This method adds peculiar force and vivacity to the
whole discussion; and the selection of topics is so complete
that we feel no wish to propose any change: the only idea
which occurs in relation to a plan so felicitous in its conception, is, that it might perhaps, be enlarged with advantage;
not so much by increasing the matter under the several heads,
as by adding some other topics.
In the first of these lectures, in which Christianity is contrasted with Atheism, the ingenious author makes the following points, on which he brings these two systems into comparison, by considering their influence respectively: 1. Upon
the Intellect. 2. Upon the Conscience. 3. Upon the Heart.
4. Upon the Life.
As a favourable specimen of the racy and pointed style of
the author, in this volume, we will extract the third point of
contrast, between these two systems, namely, their influence
respectively on the heart.
"Let me now, thirdly, direct your attention to the opposite influences which the two systems exert upon the HEART.
I shall consider them in their tendency to mould its affec tions, and satisfy its desires.
"That we may rightly estimate their influence in rmoulding
the affections, it is necessary that we bear in mind that the
moral character of an individual, by which I mean the real
state of his heart, is determined in no small degree, by his
intellectual views; and that, as truth and error are directly
opposite in their nature, so they exert a directly opposite in fluence upon the heart. I know that systems of gross error
have sometimes been professed where there has been the de cency of a moral life; nevertheless, this does not prove that
even external morality is the fruit of error, or that error is
not naturally and essentially hostile to morality: it onlyproves
that there may be countervailing influences arising from con
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